1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to resilient, self-aligning, electrical connectors having electrical contacts made of metal-filled or carbon-filled, resilient, elastomeric islands interposed in a non-conductive elastomeric mass. The invention particularly pertains to elastomeric structures used to electrically connect two or more sets of electrical conductors proximately positioned in a one-to-one relationship, each set consisting of a plurality of closely spaced conductors positionally fixed with respect to each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art connectors for electrically connecting two or more sets of electrical conductors such as tape cable connectors, plug-in printed circuit board connectors, integrated circuit connectors, liquid crystal display unit connectors and the like usually include complicated assemblies that have complex metal contacts for completing the electrical circuits. Some connectors include sharp-pointed contacts that are forced through insulation or insulating films bending, scratching and stressing the conductors to provide adequate electrical contact. Characteristic of most prior art devices are complicated electrical contacts in the form of ramps, rings, fingers and the like made of springy metal material which maintain engagement with the conductors by means of elastic deflection. These types of electrical contacts are usually expensive to make and difficult to assemble into a connector. Additionally, they have the disadvantages of being generally difficult to reproducably fabricate and when fabricated, occupying an undesirable amount of volume and subject to fatigue when under continuous use.
Where two or more sets of electrical conductors are to be connected to each other, each set consisting of a large number of very small conductors closely aligned next to each other, the electrical contacts must in some measure assure exact alignment of the conductors so that each conductor of a first set will contact only with the correct corresponding conductor or conductors of a second set. This alignment is generally achieved by means of spaced aperture in the connectors that contain corresponding contacts. Where a large number of contacts are so situated or where repeated making and breaking of the contacts is experienced, misalignment, wear, bending, shorting and other types of circuit failure are commonly experienced. Thus, such electrical connections are impermanent, or semi-permanent, and, therefore, impractical. For instance, the metal to metal contacts experience surface abrasion due to the wiping action of the initial contact which, in time, corrodes thereby increasing the contact resistance. The actual contacting area of a metal to metal contact is typically less than one thousandth of the total surface area of the metal contact. If permitted, moisture and hostile atmospheres can migrate between the contact surfaces rapidly deteriorating the quality of the electrical contact.